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Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans
Cardinal Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans '''(3rd May 1705 - Présent) is a French nobleman, statesman, and Cardinal that currently holds the title of '''Duc d'Orléans. Described by his staunch loyalist attitude towards the monarchy and the strong pride instilled in him for his family's standing, the Cardinal d'Orléans is one of the most powerful men in the Kingdom. He holds several important offices, such as Grand Maître de la Maison du Roi and Première Ministre de l'État. Among the numerous Première Ministres the King has had, Charles' administration, which was unofficially dubbed the Gouvernement Orléaniste ''(Orleanist Government), was considered the most successful. Considered the closest friend of the King, and in effect, the court favourite, as well as the ''chef du gouvernement, Charles beholds the strongest influence in the kingdom. Believed to vie for power in his own right, that is not the case for him, as he is a supporter of the absolute power of the monarch and is a proponent of le droit divin des rois (the divine right of kings). Biography Birth Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans was born at Le Chateau de Fontainebleau on 3rd May of 1705 to Louis Frédéric Chrétien d'Artois d'Orléans and his wife Charlotte de France. As the first child produced from the union, he was largely celebrated for being male. At birth, he was given the courtesy title of Prince de Conti. Infancy As a child of a Prince du Sang, Charles was pampered from birth to the time he would reach his ascension as the Duc d'Orléans. Examples of such include the honour of being in the Cercle des enfants d'honneur du Roi, which secured his future position at Court. Likewise, with the King, he was granted several expensive playthings and afforded many other items and services that were the envy of the rest of the Court. Childhood Charles' childhood evolved into a period of lessons and preparations for what his future was to be. His father assigned tutors to him in hopes of giving him a glimpse into the offices and charges he would take up. As a child, his tutors found him a somewhat difficult pupil; not exactly unwilling to learn, but lethargic, and incapable of extended concentration. Adolescence By the time his adolescent years arrived, Charles was introduced into a formal education, which included Ecclesiastical Latin, French, German, history, mathematics, and religion, with the last of them all seeming to interest him the most. Since childhood, he followed his father's example of piety, often times attending Mass and participating in prayer. It was believed that these years contributed mostly to his interests in the clergy. At first, his father was against him entering into the services of the Church, as he was his eldest son and heir, destined to receive the Artois d'Orléans fortune. Despite this, Charles insisted he should be permitted to take up the cloth and become a cleric. Still, his father declined and would continue to do so until he passed in 1725. Ascension as ''Duc d'Orléans'' With the death of his father in 1725, Charles had finally ascended to the title of Duc d'Orléans. His schooling as a child and as a result of the extensive schooling he'd received by his parents from a young age ensured that the transition went smoothly, him having a majority of the same views as his father in terms of how the household was to be run. Several things were changed, however, starting with him signing himself for the Clergy. Second, he had the family estates put under renovation, modernising them to a more up-to-date style, which was long overdue. He was taken under the wing of Cardinal Melchior de Polignac, Duc de Polignac, who would go on to ordain him as a Priest in November of 1728. Following this, in January of the next year, he was given the hat of a Cardinal by Pope Clement XII, at the expense of the Royal Treasury; a gift from the King in celebration of their lifelong friendship and a sign of good nature that would remain to exist between them. Gouvernement Orléaniste ''(July 1748 - Present)Category:House of Artois d'OrléansCategory:First Ministers of StateCategory:Royal HouseholdCategory:King's CouncilCategory:Princes du SangCategory:CardinalsCategory:French DukesCategory:French PrincesCategory:French MarquisesCategory:French CountsCategory:French LordsCategory:18th Century Births ''Gouvernement Orléaniste, or Orleanist Government, is recognized in France as a period of prosperity and glory, most notably from the government established by the Cardinal d'Orléans. It was established in July of 1748, shortly after the King's return from the fighting during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740 - 1748). His focus from then on was to maintain the stability and good income of the Kingdom. It is noted that due to their already-close proximity to each other since the King's early reign, since Charles was one of the King's enfants d'honneur, they worked well together during the time that the Cardinal's administration had authority, leading to a period of political stability. Affaires de la Madame de Guise Starting with the recognition of the Madame de Guise as the Première Maîtresse-en-Titre du Roi, the period that is known as the Affaires de la Madame de Guise began. The Cardinal's interests as the chef du gouvernement were conflicting with the various subjects she brought forth to the King, which obviously meant that she would eventually be recognized as a liability to the name of France. The Cardinal was particularly sceptical of the lady due to the sphere of influence she gained over time - especially the hold she acquired over Charles XII. He often times voiced these opinions to the King, but to little avail; it wasn't until after the death of the Mademoiselle de Montpellier that the King heeded what the Cardinal told him, reportedly saying: "J'ai besoin de toi plus que jamais, mon ami." ("I need you now more than ever, my friend.") In truth, the King's words were not hollow. In his later years, Charles XII had trouble making decisive moves without help from his confidants, whether it be the Cardinal d'Orléans or otherwise. Unfortunately, however, among those names was the Madame de Guise, who used the King's indecisiveness against him and manipulated him into increasing the stature of their illegitimate children. One example of this was the elevation and creation of the Artois d'Amboise ''house. Word of the Cardinal's dishevelment for the new creation of a princely house got to the mastermind behind the decision: ''Madame de Guise. Almost immediately, she suspected that something would be done and promptly began to plot against Charles. The official conflict between the Madame de Guise and the Cardinal d'Orléans began with her departure from the Palais des Tuileries in Paris. Régence Orléaniste Charles XII's health began to decline in 1753, much to France's misfortune, as it began to limit the effectiveness of the King's personal ability to reign. On top of the Madame de Guise incident, the power of the monarchy was arguably waning, though Charles made efforts to keep things under control until, eventually, de Guise passed away, leaving the King aware of the state his realm was in. With de Guise gone, that did not mean the King's physical and mental health were returned to their previous state. Still severely limited in mobility and amount of stress able to be taken, the King was hardly able to effectively rule in the fashion he previously had observed. Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms Titles and Styles * 3 Mai 1705 - 15 Septembre 1725: Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Prince de Conti * 15 Septembre 1725 - 13 Mars 1728: Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Duc d'Orléans * 13 Mars 1728 - 3 Janvier 1729: Son Altesse Sérénissime et Saint, Monsieur le Duc d'Orléans, Évêque d'Orléans * 3 Janvier 1729 - Présent: Son Altesse Sérénissime et Éminente, Monseigneur le Cardinal-Duc d'Orléans, Archevêque de Paris Charles' formal style, following his ascension as Duc d'Orléans, was: "Son Altesse Sérénissime et Éminent, Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans, Monseigneur le Cardinal-Duc d'Orléans," or "His Serene and Eminent Highness, Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orleans, Cardinal-Duke of Orleans." * Reference Style: Son Altesse Sérénissime et Éminente (His Serene and Eminent Highness), Son Éminence (His Eminence) * Spoken Style: Votre Altesse Sereine et Éminente / Votre Éminence / Monseigneur le Cardinal Charles' full style during his life was, "Son Altesse Sérénissime et Éminente, Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans, Prince de Conti, de Croy, d'Assier, de Meurs et de Joinville, Duc d'Orléans, de Mercoeur, de Polignac, de Beaufort-Spontin, de Forez, de Brienne, de Trier, de Longueville, de Villars et d'Uzès, Marquis d'Arlon, Comte de Verdun, de Pezenas et de Alais, Seigneur de Tours, de Saint-Onge, d'Auxerre et de Marle."